Process and apparatus for removing accretions from mechanical twyers.



C. VAN AMBURGH.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING ACCRETIONS FROM MECHANICAL TWYERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21. 1918.

'1 ,292, 1 62. Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

WITNESSES I g z 072W I W 62 Z A ATTORNEYS UNITED sr TEsPATENT OFFICE.

f CHARLES vA xr M UR H, or TACOMA, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOIt T0 AMERICAN SMELTING & REFINING 00., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS 'AND .APII?ARA'J."U'S FOR REMOVING ACCRETIONS FROM MECHANICAL TW YEBS.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, CHARLES VAN AM- BURGH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes and Apparatus'for Removing Accretions from Mechanical Twyers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a process and apparatusfor removing accretions from the discharge pipe of a mechanical twyer used for injecting various materials and gases into furnaces, converters, and the like.

It is well known that in many cases where mechanical twyers are used, the materials being treated in the furnace or converter gradually accumulate at the discharge end of the apparatus, due to various causes which are well understood, and it is necessary from time to time to remove these accretions in order to maintain the maximum opening at the point of discharge.

For this purpose it has been customary heretofore to provide a shaped rod or the like, which is pushed through the discharge pipe, and used as a scraper to remove the accretions. If this operation is performed while the apparatus is in use, there is a considerable loss of injector air during the operation. Furthermore, to successfully accomplish the purpose, it is desirable that the rodshould be almost as large in cross-sec tional area as the internal area of the discharge opening, and it results from this that while the rod is being withdrawn, there may not be sufli'cient air passing around it to prevent the molten material in the furnace or converter flowing back into the discharge pipe, and thus to a certain extent defeating the purpose of the cleansing operation.

The object of my invention is to remove the accretions in the discharge pipe without interfering with the operation of the furnace or converter, without reducing the air blast thereto, and without opening the apparatus for any manual operation.

In the accompanying drawing I show one form of apparatus for carrying this invention into effect, in which 1 is the wall of a converter, 2 is the discharge pipe of the twyer, 3 is the air connection, and 4 is the connection for the gas or material to be supplied to the converter.

In addition to the ordinary low pressure Specification Of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919,

. Application filed May 21, 1918. Serial No. 235,869.

air for blowing the converter and injecting the material, I provide a high pressure air connection 5 from an air supply tank, not shown. In thehigh pressure air line there is a quick acting valve 6, and at the point where the high pressure air line oins the low pressure air line there is a check valve 7 A check valve 8 adjacent the opening 4 closes said opening against the air.

In order to remove the accretions it is only necessary to open the quick acting valve 6, whereupon the high pressure air will close the check valve 7, and cut OR the low pressure air supply. The high pressure air in passing through the discharge pipe of the twyer will remove the accretions, and under ordinary conditions this result can be satisfactorily accomplished in a matter of seconds or at most a matter of a few minutes.

It will be observed that by this apparatus the blowing of the converter is not interrupted, and that no manual operation is required other than the opening and closing of the quick acting valve.

The discharge end of the twyer is always under air pressure, and choking of the twyer by inward flow of material following the withdrawal of the push rod is completely avoided. Not only may accumulations Or accretions of material on the twyer be removed, but such accretions may be entirely prevented by intermittently admitting air through the high pressure pipe. The pressure of the high pressure air usually is several times that of the low pressure air, but both its volume and its pressure may be regulated acording to the circumstances or the occasion of its use. The general arrangement of the parts of the apparatus heretofore employed is not materially modified, and in case of emergency the twyer pipe can be cleared by a push rod or in any other well known method.

While I have shown and described, and have pointed out in the annexed claims, certain novel features of my invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination of a low pressure air line communicating With a converter tWyer, a high pressure air line communicating ith said low pressure rair line, a valve in the h pressure air line, and means for closing OK the flow of air in the low pressure air line when the valve in the high pressure air line is open.

2. In an apparatus of the class described the combination of a low pressure air line communicating with a converter :twyer, a high pressure air line communicating with said low pressure air line, a valve in the high pressure air line, and automatic means for closing ofif the flow of air in the 10W pressure air line when the valve in the high pressure air line is open.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a low pressure air line communicating with a converter twye'r, a high pressure air line communicating with said low pressure air line, a valve in the high pressure air line, "and automatic "means 'actu' 'ated by the high pressure air for closing ofi the flow of: air in the or-v pressure air line when "the verve the 311 ressure air line is open.

precess a einoaingiacer an the discharge pipe of a converter twye which consists in intermittently zhfl' wing through said discharge pipe air at a higher pressure than that used for ordinary injector purposes.

5.. The processor preventing accretionson the discharge pipe :ozt- :a 'conwerter "W6? which consists in blowing throti 'efh the tuwyer a predetermined Wdiuine i t a preset pressure, and intermittently increasing the vdlume of air and the pressure *otthe air, substantially as described.

Signed at 'laconua, in the county of fierce, and State of Washingtan, this 17th day or April, A. 313 I918. or r @mpiea of this patent may he obtained for five cents sash, my slimming the @tmmisstorfar or Washington, E). @J 

